Cable support for highway barriers



Sept. 25 I934; B. w. MILLER CABLE SUPPORT FOR HIGHWAY BARRIERS Fil d July 19. 1932 INVENTOR. Y

5 fg ymm @ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 25, 1934 umrso 1 PATENT! OFFICE 1.-e74,'1.19 CABLE SUPPORT FOR HIGHWAY BARRIERS Benjamin w. Miller, Parkersburs, w. Va. Application July 19, 1932, Serial No. 623,363

2 Claims. (01. 24831) This invention relates to highway barriers such as are constructed along highways paralleling embankments, and more particularly to cable supports for attaching the cables to the An object of this invention is the provision of a cable supp rt that shall be simple in construction, comprise relatively few parts, and be rugged and efficient in-operation.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a cable support of such design that the cable may be attached thereto while in a slack condition, but which after being drawn up taut, cannot be disengaged therefrom.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a cable support which, in operation, does not grip the cable, yet holds it positively in place while permitting free longitudinal move-. ment of the cable, thereby avoiding the concentration of stresses on a single support in caseof impact of a vehicle or object with the cable or post of such barrier.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from an understanding of the invention as gathered from the following specification, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a. portion of the barrier showing two adjacent posts, each having a cable support thereon embodying the invention, for holding the barrier cable in position;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged top plan view of the cable support;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in side elevation looking in a direction in line with the cable, of the cable support mounted on a post;

Fig. 4 is a view in section of the cable support taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a partial view in perspective, of the cable support, showing the form and construction of the cable retaining part of the support; and

Fig. 6 is a partial view of the cable guard support showing the guard receiving part in side elevation as seen from left to right in Figs. 1 and 2.

Throughout the drawing and specification, like parts are designated by similar and corresponding reference characters.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing, a section of highway barrier or guard is shown comprising posts 1 and a cable 2 attached to the posts by cable supports 3 constituting an embodiment of this invention. Two or more cables are usually employed and mounted one above the other and attached to the posts. In the drawing, however, only one cable is shown since it is apparent that one is sufiicient to an understanding of the invention.

The cable support 3 comprises two main parts 4 and 5 formed as ,semiecircular bands, i. e., shaped to embrace and conform to the contour of a post. These parts are removably attached to each other at their forward ends as at 6, and provided with ears or lugs '7 at their rear ends. The lugs or ears are provided with apertures 8 v to accommodate a bolt 9 which, when nut 10 is drawn up, causes the parts 4 and 5 to tightly grip the post. As may be seen in the drawing, the inner circumference of the parts 4 and 5 is shorter than the circumference of the posts so 7.0. as to provide sufficient tolerance for positive clamping action.

, By providing a two part clamp, it is unnecessary to bore holes through the posts to accommodate through bolts to secure the cable support thereto, as has been customary with prior art supports.

Part 5 of the cable support is provided with an enlarged head 11 at its forward end, having jawlike members 12 and 13 thereon. As shown, ad- 30 jacent sides of the jaws 12 and 13 are formed on a bias along curved lines 14 and 15 so as to provide a space 16 therebetween that extends diagonally across the face of head 11. As may be seen in Figs. 5 and 6, the ends of jaws 12 and 13 35 overlap in spaced relation with respect to a horizontal plane passing medially between jaws 12 and 13.

The jaws 12 and 13 of head 11, being formed as shown and described, provide a cable receiv- 9 ing member having a passage 1'7, through which the cable extends, and a slot 16 disposed diagonally across the face of the head through which the cable may pass to enter the head. When the cable is within the passage 17, and extends longitudinally therethrough, the jaws 12 and 13 form, in effect, a closed loop which embraces the cable.

The head 11 is cored, as indicated at 18, to form a receptacle for the accommodation of a T-head 19 formed at the outer end of clamp part 4. One 10 wall of the receptacle 18 is provided with a slot 20 which is narrower than the width of receptacle 18 to provide shoulders 21 which form a bearing for the T-head 19 of clamp part 4. To disengage clamp part 4 from clamp part 5, the T-head 19 is moved upwardly or outwardly of receptacle 18 until the T-head clears shoulders 21, and then retracted from passage 1'7.

In practice, support 3 is mounted on a post, the nut 10 being loosened sufficiently to permit the support 3 to be slipped over the top of the post, after which the nut is drawn up until the support tightly clamps or grips the post. Supports 3 may be mounted on all of the posts to which a cable 2 is to be secured and lined up as required. Before drawing the cable taut, the cable is attached to or mounted in the heads 11 of clamp parts 5.

To insert the cable in the heads 11, the portion of cable in front of a head 11 is disposed at an angle, that is, diagonally across the face of such head, so that the cable will pass through the space 16 between jaws 12 and 13. After the cable has passed between the jaws, it may be straightened up so that it will lie within the retaining jaws and extend through passage 17. The cable is thus inserted through all of the cable supports of the barrier after which the cable may be drawn up taut and anchored at its opposite ends in the usual manner.

After the cable is drawn up taut and anchored as described above, it will be apparent that the cable cannot be dislodged from between the retaining jaws 12 and 13 because of the overlapping of the ends thereof as indicated clearly in Fig. 6.

Since the cable cannot be removed from between the jaws of the support without deflecting the cable diagonally, as indicated at Fig. 2, so that it may be drawn through space 16 between the jaws, it follows that the cable,- when taut, cannot be bent to such diagonal position.

Since the cable is not gripped by the jaws 12 and 13, and since it is free to move longitudinally therebetween through the passage 17, any stresses imposed on the cables of the barrier will be transmitted uniformly to a number of posts and the cable supports mounted thereon, thereby avoiding the concentration of stresses on any particular post or on any particular individual cable support. 1 I

The cable support herein shown and described maybe made as a steel forging or as a casting, depending upon the qualities of strength required. Since the two major parts of the support, namely, parts 4 and 5, are each made as an integral unit,

and since only one bolt is required to clamp the support to a post, the device embodying the invention, comprises for all practical purposes, the minimum munber of parts.

While only one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described herein, it will be apparent to and appreciated by those skilled in this particular art, that various modifications and changes may be made in the device without departing either from the scope or the spirit of the invention. It is desired, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed on the invention as are imposed by the prior art and the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A cable support for barriers comprising a two-part clamp adapted to embrace a post, said clamp parts having a T and T-slot connection at one side and being connected at the opposite side by a bolt adapted to draw said parts together so as'to tightly grip the post, one of said parts having a head provided with oppositely curved superposed jaws forminga cable-receiving passage adapted to retain the cable in operative position and to allow longitudinal movement of the cable therethrough, the adjacent faces of said jaws being substantially parallel and inclined at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the cable whereby, by placing a section of the cable at an angle the same may be inserted between the jaws into the cable receiving passage.

2. A cable support for highway barriers comprising a two-part clamp for embracing a barrier post, one of said parts having a head at its forward end provided with oppositely curved superposed overlapping jaws forming a passage for receiving and retaining a cable therein but allowing longitudinal movement of the cable therein, the forward ends of said parts having a substantially T and T-slot connection concealed in said head.

BENJAMIN W. IVIILLER. 

